French taxpayers give €10m a year to support former presidents, report reveals

Former leaders receive €65,000 a year, along with a furnished apartment, a car with two drivers, seven assistants, two domestic employees and free rail and plane travel, according to findings

Nicolas Sarkozy is among the former presidents receiving thousands of euros in taxpayers' money after leaving office (AFP/Getty)

Former French presidents cost France more than €10 million a year.

That's according to a report by the country's court of auditors and the state council, which has revealed how much the French public pays to keep its former leaders in clover.

The findings were reportedly given to the current president Francois Hollande two years ago, but have only just been disclosed by French investigative media outlet Mediapart.

According to the report, former leaders receive €65,000 a year, along with a furnished apartment, a car with two drivers, seven assistants, two domestic employees and free rail and plane travel.

The amount spent on the country's three surviving former presidents alone comes to €6.2 million.

According to French newspaper Liberation, €226,290 worth of French taxpayers' money goes towards former president Nicolas Sarkozy's apartment in the plush eighth district of Paris, with additional funds going on the right-wing politician's 26 phone lines and almost €7,000 worth of vehicle expenses.

Mr Sarkozy, who served as leader from 2007 until 2012 and is seeking re-election in 2017, is also reported to recieve €400,000 in staff salaries.

Meanwhile Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, who took office between 1974 and 1981, owns offices on the up-market Boulevard Saint-Germain that cost taxpayers a reported €276,683 a year. Mr Estaing, who is now 90, is also said to recieve €5,000 a year for petrol costs and €10,571 for press subscriptions.

The report suggests former French prime ministers also receive a considerable amount of taxpayers' money, with Alain Juppé taking the highest payment of €102,171 in 2014 alone, and Dominique de Villepin receiving €96,000in 2015, including €40,000 on his chauffeur.

According to Mediapart, the report calls for "control of public expenditure" and its authors suggest reducing payments over time.

In the UK, the Public Duty Cost Allowance was introduced in 1991 to assist former Prime Ministers who are still active in public life. Payments are made only to meet the actual cost of continuing to fulfil public duties.

In addition to the public duty allowance, former British Prime Minister’s are entitled to claim a pension allowance to contribute towards their staff pension costs, which is limited to a maximum of 10 per cent of their staff salary costs.

In 2012 it was reported that Tony Blair amassed a fortune of £30 million through a range of interests including speeches and consultancy work.